The Foundation

The beginnings of his collecting journey began in 1923, with the acquisition of two remarkable icons, the Virgin Mary and St. Nicholas, dating back to the beginning of the 16th century. He focused his interest on the 16th century throughout his time in Germany, succeeding in locating an additional 45 Greek works of art, mostly iconography, which had been brought there by Bavarians – members of King Otto’s entourage.

After his graduation in 1927, he travelled throughout Europe, particularly to Italy and Spain. He combined his collecting activities with the study of Art History and Archaeology. The recovery of works of Greek culture, and their return to their native land, gradually became the purpose of his life. In 1940 he obtained a license to collect Greek and Byzantine antiquities.

“Many people in later years have asked me how I got the idea of becoming a collector of Greek art,” he stated in his book “Thoughts”. “I never imagined that I would become one; it happened without my realizing it. It feels like learning to swim and floating on water, or riding a bicycle and standing on two wheels. The difference between me and other collectors is that it wasn’t something I aspired to, but the love of beauty brought me there almost automatically.”

He returned to Greece as a volunteer on the Albanian front. In 1945, he took over the reins of TITAN S.A. as CEO. After 1979, he contributed to the company as President.

Paul Canellopoulos met the companion of his life, Alexandra Londos. Their shared vision for Culture formed an unbreakable bond between them. They married in 1945 and lived in harmony until Paul’s death in 2003. The couple’s immediate social circle included historians, academics and archaeologists, with whom they developed a fruitful, dialogue on issues of History and Art.

“I was, the last visitor to leave the galleries”, Paul Canellopoulos wrote in his ‘Thoughts’. “I remained in them, ecstatic, for hours on end, and my love of beauty was growing.”

An impressively diverse personality, he was not only a keen collector, but also an extremely active scholar, participating in scientific committees for the promotion of Greek Cultural Heritage.

The Museum, with its establishment in 1976, was for him the realization of his dream. Such was his love that even at an advanced age, and despite his significant visual impairment, he never stopped his regular visits while personally offering guided tours, rooted in his deep knowledge and inexhaustible love for Art and Archaeology.

Paul Canellopoulos, an intellectual man and a eupatrid, was honoured many times by the Greek State and foreign governments for his work and his contribution to the nation. He was feeling deeply emotional and proud, for receiving the Albanian Campaign Medal 1940 (War Cross) “for his heroic effort during the operations” during the Greek-Italian war.

“…our desire to return to our country many antiquities led to the acquisition of more than 6,500 objects …”

Her father’s work ethic and her mother’s principles, instilled in her a sense of responsibility and commitment. This system of values defines her personal contribution, not only in the cultural field but also in the social domain, and in the areas of solidarity and volunteering.

At a young age, during the Second World War, she volunteered as a nurse in the Greek Red Cross. Over the years, she developed a multi-dimensional activity, supporting charitable organizations and public benefit causes in every way she could. As a lover of classical music, she was active in the position of vice-president of the Music Association of the internationally renowned pianist “Gina Bachauer” – after all, she was a lover of classical music.

Her marriage to Paul Canellopoulos in 1945 led her effortlessly down the path he had already carved. Paul Canellopoulos, instilled to her his admiration for the greatness of Ancient Greek Art, providing her with an outlet for her own cultural concerns. Companions in life but also close collaborators, they jointly decided to donate their collection to the Greek State, to establish and develop the Canellopoulos Museum and the Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Foundation.

“We were united not only by life, but also by common principles and beliefs”, she had confessed. “With Paul… most of all we were united by our great love for our country and its history, because he was above all a Greek”.

In 1999, Alexandra Canellopoulos was honoured by the Academy of Athens. The silver medal of the country’s leading academic institution was the symbol of her overall contribution to Greek society.